#foolishonewriting||basim

[merelyplxyers]

@foolishonewriting "I honestly, think I should," Aurora hummed, a sense of amusement clear in her voice as she kept walking through the garden. "Something tells me he looks like nothing has ever happened at all," she taunted gently.

Basim knew that the newest addition to his harem was not fond of her new position. A flower as exotic as herself was surely far from home, and so he could not fault her for rattling at the bars of her golden cage every so often. But right here in this very moment he had wished for her gentle kindness to lighten his mood, not her teasing. "Taunting words don't suite you little flower", he said, voice low as he walked over to her, the gentle murmur of the water fountain filling the air, mixing with the singing of the birds and the humming of the bees. Blood splatters seeping into his silk kaftan and a bruise blooming on his cheek. Once undressed, his ribs would show a similar discolouring as his cheek, but he was right. His arrogant brother looked much worse, with a deep cut across his ugly face and a missing ear for not listening to Basim.

"But I am sure you will recognize my opponent next time you see him. It is hard to miss the mark I left"

[merelyplxyers]

Hearing her ask this question so innocently forced him to hold a roaring laughter back. She was not from here, especially not a royal court. It was the only way to explain how she could be this oblivious to how the game of life was truly played. "I put the man back into place who thought that intriguing against me was a good idea", he said, taking her chin between his index finger and thumb to force her to look into his dark eyes,"The man who thought that an attempt on my life would pave his way to power" His voice was low and rough, a rumbling in his chest that made him seem much more intimidating that he already was.

"And for the sake of your safety you should be distraught that I didn't kill him"

It was a little jarring, just how different her life was at the moment. Aurora had gone from helping run her father's merchant stall, spending her time on cobbled streets and on sandy beaches, to being trapped here.It was nice that she was able to roam the gardens, but she knew that it was a luxury for her that he could possibly take away, keep her trapped inside.

Her jaw dropped open at his words, in surprised. Any thought of taunts left her mind, a fleeting moment, at the horror of having her tongue cut out. Aurora chose not to comment on that, nor his references to his brother before her eyes widened.

"Did you harm one of your brothers?"

[merelyplxyers]

Basim leaned in even closer, his mouth right next to her ear as he whispered. "I am all that stands between you and a life as barrack slut", his words were harsh, cutting even, and he knew that his brother would dispose of most of Basim's harem that way if he ever managed to get rid of him. He also knew that Aurora was a rare kind of flower, one he might want to add to his own harem and if it were only for the prestige of owning someone from a land far away. But Aurora didn't have to know that. It was good if she believed him to be her saviour in that sense. Keep her in line and submissive to him and in case his brother would approach her to win her over for one of his dirty schemes, she might not be as inclined to agree to help.

"Court is a very dangerous place, my beautiful flower. A place best survived with someone by your side who knows how to play the game. Because it's not one you want to lose"

Aurora felt him grasp her chin, forcing her gaze upwards. Her soft eyes stared into his, meeting dark ones, meeting intense eyes. She didn't want to think about how much he had seen in life, to have a look that looked so intense, so deep.

She swallowed, eyes wide at his comment, a few goose bumps rising on her soft skin. "I was unaware he posed such a great risk to my safety,"

[merelyplxyers]

Basim knew that she was new to the viper's nest that was the palace. This world was not hers, and as a slave the intricacies of palace politics were the least of her worries. That was the privilege of a harem girl. A privilege that she bought with the availability of her body, having to submit to his every whim. A privilege that he bought with his influence in court and the foundation for his rise to power once his old father would breathe his last breath. The fact that she was allowed to roam the gardens on her own was rooted in the fact that this garden was his private sanctuary, unavailable to the prying eyes of those who sought to see him fall from grace the way Icarus had when he flew too close to the sun. "But it would be a shame if I had to cut that tongue out of your pretty mouth", his voice was low, the threatening tone clearly audible.

"If I want to keep my head on my shoulders, it is necessary to remind my brothers that I am the only heir to my father's throne and if you want to stay in one piece, you should hope and pray that the day when I lose may never come"

Aurora resisted the urge to huff at the little pet name he delivered. He seemed insistent on it, and she couldn't decide whether she hated it or liked it. Her eyes roamed around the garden for now ,enjoying the soft hums of nature. She felt at peace outside, and was grateful for when he allowed such freedoms. "My words could be much worse," she hummed before she turned to face him.

Her eyes roamed his body, with a frown. "You seem to think violence is necessary."